Festival Review: HAIM - All Points East // Victoria Park, London // August 2023
The Los Angeles sisters HAIM headlined on the East Stage for the fifth edition of All Points East (18-28 August 2023), located in Victoria Park, East London. The trio left the crowd wishing their set could go on “Forever”, as one of their most famous tracks is aptly titled.
An array of artists joined Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, including Griff, Joesef, Girl in Red, and Confidence Man for an afternoon bathed in London sun.
Fergie’s 2005 “London Bridge” boomed across the park as crowds ran over to the East Stage to witness all that HAIM had to offer. The three sisters rocketed onto the stage in matching leather trousers and burst into “Now I’m In It”, a fitting song for the group's only European show of 2023, as Alana later confessed, “London and the UK was the first place to ever embrace us, so we actually call this home.”
The set felt raw and emotional at points, with Alana stating, “I’ve already cried through like the first four songs.” as they noted the significance of the performance in line with the 10-Year-Anniversary of their best-selling and career-starting album “Days Are Gone” - from their journey beginning by performing in empty LA parking lots, to headlining All Points East. Their gratitude was felt by the crowd, with the support of their family and friends cheering them on, and the audience melting into their recognisable melodies.
During a brief interim, the band highlighted the talent of their saxophone player, Henry, as he erupted into an awe-inspiring solo.
Earlier in the day, Griff stepped onto the same stage in a matching gold set and a long ponytail down her back. Her outfit wasn’t the only thing that was shining, her performance was electric (even if, as she stated, her acrylic nails meant she couldn’t play the guitar!) with a surprise performance of her latest and unreleased track, “Vertigo”, ahead of its release this coming Thursday 31st August 2023.
Griff really kicked off the day, with the energy sustaining, and even an interlude between songs in which she sang “Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston.
Joesef, the 28-Year Old Scottish Singer from Glasgow then brought the emotion, energy, and really got the crowd going (with even actor Paul Mescal being spotted grooving along in the crowd). Tracks included, “The Sun is up Forever”, and “it’s Been a Little Heavy Lately”, with Joesef describing his turbulent family as the cause for him writing the tracks. He quickly shifted the mood to a lighter tone as he paused, looked into the crowd through his black sunglasses, and announced, “This next song is about shagging my ex”, as he sang “Think That I Don’t Need Your Love”.
His whole performance was accompanied by captivating visuals, with “JOESEF” strobing on the screen behind him, tight drum licks, and smooth melodies to soothe the festival-goers.
The race from the West Stage back to the East Stage was on as the crowd had careened back as Girl in Red took centre stage, bass-thrumming, as she opened with “You Stupid Bitch” electrifying the space. Also known as Marie Ulven Ringheim, the Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer allowed her catchy lyrics and heart-pulling honesty to ripple its way across Victoria Park, touching on all topics from anxiety, supporting The Strokes in the days prior, to tattoos between tracks.
Crowd-surfing through “Bad Idea”, and describing “Dead Girl in the Pool” as her version of a trap song, she finished with an immersive and gut-wrenchingly raw version of “i wanna be your girlfriend” as the crowd breathed a collective sigh, and separated between the artists up next - FKJ and Confidence Man.
But, there was no time to rest, as stages dispersed, shoulders were dismounted, and hoards of people ran back over to the East Stage in anticipation for the headliners as the sun began to set, HAIM.
From tracks ranging over all their albums, the most engaging was “I’ve Been Down” as the trio parted the crowd down the middle and a call-and-repeat began, with “I think that we need to come together” being shouted over and over until the whole park was filled with the lyrics.
Towards the end of the set, the tracks became heavier than how they have been heard before, with an incredible eye-widening effect taking over the crowd as the three musically-talented women shredded on the main stage, truly showing their dedication to make it where they are today - the sisters of rock. The track was followed by “Gasoline”, “Let Me Go”, “Don’t Wanna”, “Summer Girl”, “Falling”, “Forever”, and the encore “The Wire”, and finally ending on “The Steps” to end the night, and close the festival for 2023.
This was definitely not a day to miss, and left the masses in Victoria Park eager to see the line up for the year ahead.
Words by Jemma Levine
Photography by Abigail Shii
